Well folks, the attacks on science-based wildlife management just keep coming. U.S. House Resolution 4422 “Don’t Feed The Bears Act of 2025”, has been introduced to the House Natural Resources Committee and seeks to ban using bait for hunting black bears in Wyoming and seven other states where the tactic is a proven and effective tool for managing black bear populations. This “Act” has been brought to the HNRC by a coalition of animal rights groups and is a thinly veiled ploy to end black bear hunting, promote apex predators as wildlife managers and ultimately end all hunting.
Conspiracy Theory
My last sentence may seem like a conspiracy theory. I used to think that animal rights group’s predator worship, lawfare and promotion of apex predator reintroduction was just that, a conspiracy theory with the end goal to eliminate all hunting. To be blunt, these days the difference between a conspiracy theory and truth turns out to be about six months. That may seem cynical and the actual timeline for transition from conspiracy theory to reality may be 12 to 24 months but I honestly believe these whackos are playing the long game and want only one thing… the end of ALL hunting!
Baiting Isn’t Ethical
Wayne Pacell with the group Animal Wellness Action, claims that baiting black bears is an unethical means of take which defies the standards of fair chase hunting. His argument is the impetus for a baiting ban nationwide.
Nothing Could Be Further From The Truth
Folks who actually hunt black bears know that Pacell’s arguments could not be further from the truth and that the opposite is actually true. Hunting black bears over bait is highly ethical, highly fair chase and is the number one tool wildlife managers have for managing black bears.
Bears are notoriously difficult to sex in the field and baiting allows close scrutiny of individual animals to ensure that only boars are harvested. Accidental harvest of sows with cubs can happen when employing other methods of harvesting bears and in heavily-timbered country like Alaska, the upper-midwest and portions of Wyoming, baiting is far and away the most effective means for controlling black bear numbers.
Not One Inch!
Losing any ground in the fight for our hunting rights is a slippery slope and the animal rights activists know this. If they can get this Act passed they have a foothold in eliminating bear hunting in general and gain ground with their dystopian agenda to end all hunting. We cannot allow this. It’s once again time to tell our elected officials in the U.S. House of Representatives to shoot down this emotion-driven attack on science-based wildlife management.
I’ve included a link to the members of the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee below… take a few minutes to make your thoughts heard before it’s too late!
U.S. House Natural Resources Committee https://naturalresources.house.gov/about/members.htm
